Goodbye Toronto 16th to 25th October

For the last ten days we have been waiting for our first grandchild to make an appearance. In the meantime we have walked, taken train and bus trips, and generally had a fairly slack time. One day we walked the 3.5km to Fassifern Station and back along the old railway reserve. Most of the time the track winds under a canopy of shady trees and along the edge of Fennell Bay. It was a pleasant walk and kept us on our target of at least 6km per day.

There seems to be a pattern, in this part of NSW, that every five days or so the weather builds up to a really strong blow from the northwest. It is hot (36 degrees or more) with low humidity and as there has been little rain for several months the bush is very dry. Perfect for bushfires! Of course there has been many outbreaks around Lake Macquarie that have burned many hectares and people have lost houses as well. The atmosphere has been thick with smoke and even ash at times. Toronto has been lucky as no fires have been too close and there has only been smoke to put up with. We have watched the glow of the fires on the other side of the lake in the evening. Last Monday we decided to motor down to Crangan Bay to our sheltered little anchorage in the southern corner and see what damage had been done by recent fires. We had coffee at Murrays Beach and then motored around for a look. We would not have been in our little bolthole in the fires as the whole area had been burnt out. We even saw a scorched aluminium run-about that had been left beside the lake as someone had escaped. The trailer tyres had been burnt off.

 

One day we took the train to Newcastle as we wanted to go across the harbour by ferry to Stockton. We had  seen Stockton Beach from Rene as we sailed down from Port Stephens and it looked interesting. That day was quite warm and the train was held up for half an hour by grass fires along the track. An impatient Peter did not have a newspaper to entertain him so I had to listen to some huffing and puffing as the train waited for clearance to move on. It was a lovely day and we decided that Newcastle has some very nice beaches.

 

 

Newcastle overpass

Wednesday 23rd October.
Jessica Abigail Scott arrived at 4.09pm. Peter was out racing on one of the local yachts and I had to wait about four hours before I could tell him the fantastic news. He left his phone behind. Good one Pete! We have now had some photos of our little granddaughter - soooooo cute! Sydney here we come!

For the last two days we have been cleaning Rene so that there is no excuse for mould and mildew to invade while we are away and readying her for our six months away. Lily was given a thorough clean and packed away, the new canvas cover was fitted and a myriad of other jobs completed. This morning we motored back to the mooring, after being on the jetty overnight, and said goodbye to Rene. She has been our home for over six months and sailed us over some notoriously rough patches of sea. (The Great Australian Bight & Bass Strait) What a great little boat! Now she is tucked safely away and Roger and several other Toronto YC members are going to keep and eye on her for us. Greg and Leisha are also going to take advantage of Rene being in The Lake and will come up for weekends to explore this area.

We have met some very friendly, helpful people in Toronto. Carol and Roger have been fantastic. We have stayed at their house on numerous occasions, used their washing machine (there is no laundrette anywhere near Toronto) and been given heaps of help and advice about Lake Macquarie. Thank you very much Roger and Carol. Also thank you for keeping an eye on our girl while we are away. Mary and Rob and Rosalie have offered us the use of a car if we needed it. Thank you. Your offer was very much appreciated. We also had a beautiful meal with Greg and Pauline. You both made us feel very welcome. Thank you.  Peter and I both look forward to coming back to Toronto next April to catch up with our friends here and continue our journey north to Townsville.

Carol, Roger, Peter and Liz

Our favourite coffee shop by the lake

 

 



Ducky Driftwood

Mr & Mrs Seagull Episode 2 19th October

Peter said, 'I think the Seagulls have a chick'. Off we went in Lily to see the new baby. Of course the whole seagull population in Toronto Bay went into attack mode as we approached, screeching wildly and trying to put us off getting too close. There was one spotted, fluffy little chick and one egg in the nest. The baby desperately tried to disguise itself as a rope, but kept one beady eye on us the whole time.  After taking a few photos we decided to leave them alone to settle down to normality once again.

We really do not want this to happen on our boat so we have since gone to great pains to make Rene as unattractive as possible to the various birds that think that yachts on moorings are fair game for perches or nests.

Mr & Mrs Seagull 15th October

Peter and I have often wondered where seagulls nest. There are so many of them and we had not noticed any nest sites before this trip. They love boats. Several of the vessels in our mooring area are rarely visited and these all have their resident birds. At the moment any boat not visited for a few days will be graced by at least one pair of seagulls building a nest. Our favourite pair are on a motor boat next to us. Mr and Mrs Seagull are very conscientious. They had already built their seaweedy nest when we moved to our mooring and proceeded to dive bomb us every time we went ashore. It didn't take them long to get used to us and now they sit tight and merely screech loudly in our direction as we pass. We threw a 'cat among the seagulls' today as I wanted to see how many eggs there were and photograph them. As we drew close their screeching drew birds from all directions to help scare us off. What a racket!!

Angry insults from above

 



There are two nests on a large, navy blue yacht on the other side of us. I'm not sure if it's the girls who sit or not, but each time we pass it appears that the two girls are on the nest and the fellas sit on the stern locker having a good old gossip. At first they also dived us as we passed, but now only hurl a few insults in our direction. You can almost hear the boys on the back saying to the girls, 'See love, we scared 'em off.'

Our latest seagull incident was quite humorous. On the eastern edge of the moorings is a lovely 42' Oceanic yacht. She is beautiful and well loved, however the owners had not visited for a week or so. Two pairs of gulls decided that this was prime real estate and promptly moved in. I did tell them it was a bad idea and they would regret it, but they took no notice. Yesterday the owners pulled up in the dinghy and were immediately dive bombed incessantly. The lady couldn't understand what was going on and had quite a bit of trouble tying off. She scrambled on board and then realised what was happening. After a short conversation between the owners I heard her say, 'Well I'm not doing it! You get rid of them!' Then they disappeared down the hatch. A few minutes later out he came and stood for a while looking at the stern nest with his hands on his hips. The gulls were going crazy. Obviously a decision had been made and he bent down and the whole nest, eggs and all went over the side. Then it was the turn of the nest near the mast. I felt sorry for the birds, but Peter and I had a chuckle as we watched the whole performance.

We have carefully examined the boats in the mooring area that have devices on board that are designed to scare birds and deep them off. Some have CD's, flags, pretend owls or plastic bags hanging from the rigging. None of these work. Netting seems to do the best job by simply keeping them out and not allowing the birds to land. In Albany we had some success with a cargo net that you use to cover a loaded trailer. We have purchased another one and will stretch them over the cockpit and the foredeck along with a thin string or two tied above the boom. Hopefully this will discourage the gulls from using Rene as a nursery.

Toronto 7th to 15th October

 

Maiden Hair Fern in its element

 



Our adventure for 2013 is quickly coming to and end. Only three days until our first grandchild's due birth date. Once the baby is born we intend to spend a day or two in last minute preparations for leaving Rene, two days in Sydney admiring the new baby and then Peter flies to Townsville to visit his dad and I fly to Perth and then Albany for an extended holiday at home. Peter will spend two weeks in Townsville and then he too will fly home. From then on it will be gardening, house maintenance and brushing the cobwebs off the BMW's (motorbikes) for the summer.

I remember, it seems an age ago in Port Fairy, where we thought that trekking to the shower was an adventure. It was about a 1km walk around the river/harbour to the yacht club passing the early morning fishermen, birds, walkers and the view up and down the river ever changing. People are very friendly in the morning and greetings always exchanged. Here in Toronto the scene is altogether different, but still a time of the day to look forward to. We usually take the dinghy trip to the bathroom after dinner and at that time have the luxury of the showers to ourselves.

With the shower paraphernalia in the backpack we pile in Lily and motor across to the dinghy dock in front of the yacht club. The lights of Toronto on the hill above the moorings cast wiggly golden stripes over the glassy water. There is a long fluorescent blue light running down one side of the yacht club that throws a shimmering reflection across the bay. A fish jumps and plops back in. Perhaps the Great White Shark reportedly in the lake is chasing it in the inky depths. The marina is quiet now. Perfect! We tie Lily up and wander up to the yacht club for one of the best showers ever - no water saving devices here, and hot! Then we return to Rene in the darkness. Tom, our neighbour, has his cabin lights on glowing softly across the water and we easily find our way home. A party is in full swing in one of the houses on the hill above. They've got a trumpet!! The lights of Belmont and Warners Bay shine over the water from the east.

 

RMYC Toronto Jetty

 This is such an easy place to park for a while. Crossing the bar (easy in the right conditions), organising a bridge opening, negotiating the shallow waters of the channel (touching the bottom not uncommon), is worth the effort for a couple of weeks engaging in happy exploration of this beautiful lake. We have discovered, by talking to the locals, that sand in the channel builds up in ridges due to the current and eventually gets high enough that keels scrape as yachts make their way through. By the time we noticed a slow down we had already taken the top off a ridge and were through. Whew!!

This week we motored around to Marmong Point Marina to fill up with fuel as the fuel dock there is easy to access. Also Peter wanted to purchase some good quality rope at the chandlery to attach our new canvas shelter that covers the main cabin and hopefully prevents any water leaking into the interior of the boat while we are away. We have been told that when it rains here it pours, summer having the highest rainfall. Being able to leave the vents open should help prevent mould and mildew to some extent.

 Today we have brought Rene alongside for our free night at the jetty in order to do some maintenance. While we were on the way to Marmong Point the echo sounder stopped working. After some examination Peter found that there was a loose connection in the sealed plug - corrosion had occurred!!!! All the minute wires are encased in an earth shield with the main wire about the thickness of a hair. It has taken two trips by bus to the Warners Bay light industrial area where there is a Jaycar outlet, a few hours of tinkering and swearing etc and Peter has successfully (it appears so far) fixed the problem by soldering the offending wires to a new plug. Most people would have chucked it out, but he has been persistent and we hope it will continue to work for a long time. By the way, the Jaycar people were very helpful and had a huge range of electronic equipment.

 

Concentration!!!

We continue to await the arrival of the new grandy and in the meantime make full use of our stay in Lake Macquarie.

 

Rene's summer home - the orange buoy in the centre

 

 

 

Old Toronto Railway Station & Toronto Hotel above our mooring



Fleet Review, Sydney 4th - 6th October

After our Dangar Island outing we caught the train to Sydney with the others and then made our way to Greg and Leisha's at Neutral Bay on the ferry from Circular Quay. Public transport in Sydney is so easy to use and makes travelling a breeze, especially on the Seniors Card. Leisha has only two weeks of her pregnancy to go and we enjoyed seeing all the preparations she and Greg have been making for our new grand baby.

The Fleet Review - 100 years since Australian Navy was formed. What a wonderful celebration! We couldn't believe our luck in being in Sydney for all the festivities. On Friday Peter and I walked to Cremorne Point and found a good vantage point to view the Naval Fleet entering the harbour. Chinese, Japanese, British, American and many other countries were represented with various naval ships already anchored or moored in the harbour. The harbour was full of ships, ferries, tourist boats, motor boats and yachts of all descriptions as well as some very brave (read crazy!) people in kayaks and canoes. Helicopters buzzing around with huge Aussie flags and Welcome to the Review flags and thousands of people lining the shore completed the scene. Sydney Harbour is the most amazing place to view such an event as there is so much public open space and parkland lining it that I don't think anyone would miss out on a good view of the proceedings.

After lunch we met up with Leisha and took the Neutral Bay ferry to Circular Quay and then walked to Darling Harbour to see the Tall Ships. They had arrived on Thursday. The place was crowded and we enjoyed the atmosphere and admired the beautiful old boats lined up along the quay. There is something very romantic about the sight and sound of an old sailing vessel.

On Saturday Greg and Leisha joined us on Kurraba Point this time to watch the Ceremonial Fleet Review and formation flypast by naval and military aircraft. There was a hundred gun salute which excited some of the kids nearby and we watched Prince Harry and the Governor General inspect the fleet. (Didn't actually see them, too far away, had to use the imagination here!) The spectacle on the harbour kept us entertained all morning.

In the evening Maureen and John had invited us to a pizza and wine night with them at their accommodation in The Rocks. We probably had one of the best viewing platforms in the city, on the roof of their building for the Fireworks and Lightshow. It was fantastic. Barges and naval ships had been set out along the harbour from which the fireworks were launched. Images of historical significance to the navy were projected onto the Opera House sails and laser lights and search lights lit up the sky. As the show progressed fireworks sprouted from the rooves of city buildings. The noise that echoed from the city buildings down the harbour as the fireworks exploded was incredible. I loved it! The whole show was amazing. Something to remember for a very long time.

 

 

      

 

Friends and Rele's Visit Dangar Island 3rd October

We had been planning a catch up with friends John and Judy and cousin Maureen and her husband John since we had heard they were visiting Sydney for the school holidays. Peter and I decided that Dangar Island would be the best place to meet up, being approximately half way between Sydney and us in Lake Macquarie. Travelling there involved a scenic train journey of about an hour each. Judy and John arrived on the platform at Hawkesbury River at the same time we did from the opposite direction. Our detailed planning was paying off! As the next train was an hour away so we decided to adjourn to the Brooklyn Marina Café for morning coffee and chat while we waited for Maureen and John.

We watched the next train - no M & J, then we had a message to say they would be late. The four of us decided to take the ferry to Dangar and gave M & J directions to the ferry and they would catch us up later. The ferry ride was pleasant and took the scenic route via Little Wobby where the houses line the shore under the very high sandstone cliffs. This is not my idea of a safe place to live as the cliffs have some very unstable looking boulders on the steep rock faces. At Dangar we walked up the track, passed the bowling club and to the beach. We'd noticed that the weather was taking a turn for the worse and as we looked to the south we realised that dark clouds were gathering and it wouldn't be long before rain arrived. We hurried back to the Dangar Café just in time, before the squall hit.

It turned out to be quite a storm, thunder and lightening, hail and heavy rain. In the midst of this Maureen and John arrived on the ferry and dodged the hailstones to join us for lunch. The food was beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed catching up with every one's news while the thunder crashed and lightening flashed and rain and hail hammered down. It was a pity we could not walk around the island as it is a lovely walk, but the rain was welcome as it has been a very dry winter in this area.

Crangan Bay Lake Macquarie 1st October

We are back in Bellbird territory. Their beautiful bell songs are ringing out in the forest over the bay. Yesterday we left Chain Valley Bay in the morning and motored around to Crangan Bay which is in the south east corner of Lake Macquarie. We found a sheltered, quiet little bay right down the southern end and are tucked in out of the strong winds from the north and west that we have had today. Gwandalan is the town nearby and has a small shopping centre with IGA, butcher, baker chemist and most importantly a bottle shop. The Gwandalan Bowling Club welcomes guests for meals, but we have not partaken.

Vales Point Power House - not all pretty bush around here!

There are walking tracks in the bush and access to the lake via the parkland in front of the houses, which extends for a couple of kms to the north of us. Very pleasant walking. This morning we discovered, listening to the ABC Morning Show, that the weather was going to be unpleasant. Strong winds, hot and gusting up to 40kns, thunder storms were forecast and a total fire ban in place, so we decided that walking in the bush around here would not be a good idea. The atmosphere was already thick with smoke from several bush fires in the vicinity. Instead we walked around the village of Gwandalan. There is a row of houses in the bay near us that back onto a patch of thick forest. Behind the back fences a wide strip of mown grass extends from the fences and some people have landscaped this area. It is lovely to walk along and admire their work. We got talking to a friendly man who told us that much of this area was earmarked for over 600 new houses. A pity really, but I suppose people have to live somewhere.

Tomorrow we are going back to Toronto as we will be Twilight Racing with Carol and Roger on their yacht.

Coffee break!